help with my first table

[kodiakman]

Novice woodworker here. SWMBO wanted a new table. The requirements: thick (or thick-looking) table top, with large turned legs and an apron -- farm- table style. The top is 5/4 walnut with 2" wide 5/4 breadboard ends (to give the thicker appearance).

My question is how far should the table top overhang the legs/apron? Most tables I have seen overhang about 1-2 inches. I'm worried that this size overhang will show shadowing between the apron and breadboard ends, and I (actually, she) wants it to look "traditional"

Any tips or advice?

Also, the apron and legs will be painted so I'm using pine for those. Should I attach the top to the apron using the "figure-8" style clips to allow for the different wood movement between the pine and walnut?

Thanks in advance

[Stephen M]

Seach the internet for samples to get ideas. Measure as many similar tables can get your hands on. Figure out what is "normal" and adjust to your liking from there.

Pine is soft it will take dings much more easily. Pine is also not the easiest thing to turn. It tends to tear out alot. That said, is you are paintingyou can youse filler to fix tearout. Dings may not be an issue if you are going for a more rustic look.

Yes. or Lee Valley sells clip that looks like: ____/

Or you can make your own from wood the look like:

XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX

The purpose of the clip is not because of diffent woods, it is required because of the different grain orientation. This is a very important concept to understand if you are about to build a table with breadboard ends. If you are unclear please ask.

-Steve

[Juergen Hannappel]

[...]

... and if you have a cat that thinks the table legs are fine for sharpening claws pine is a very bad choice, because it looks and feels like a cactus after a short time. Beech is much better there!

[kodiakman]

"Stephen M" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

snip

I have no experience or equipment for turning, so I purchased pre-made legs from osbornewood.com

snip

Thanks for the advice on the clips. I have seen the examples of cutting a kerf groove to use for attaching those clips, but I thought the figure-8 style would be easier.

I don't think I used the correct terminology. I guess I didn't do actual "breadboard ends." After glue-up of the table top, I trimmed the edges with

2" wide bands (faces on vertical plane) to give the appearance of a thicker top. The are mitered at the corners, attached with large finishing brads.

[Teamcasa]

The good Dr. Hannappel has good advice for the legs, beech is my choice for legs as well. As for the design, Fine Woodworking's newest edition has a good article in table design. That said, I would set the apron back 3" or so.

Dave

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[kodiakman]

"Teamcasa" wrote in news:42651a26$1_3@127.0.0.1:

Thanks I'll pick up a copy of FWW

[SonomaProducts.com]

Just an FYI but you "may" have some trouble where your thicking edges are running in a different grain direction than the top boards. Sounds like its to late to take care fo that now but if they seperate you can use a different attachment method. Just glue the board near the center and use screws at the outer edges with elongated holes in the piece being attached.

Also, if your table top starts to warp at all along the top abve the cross grain thickening boards it could be the tension from the boards beneath.

One way to mitigate or lessen the problems would be to make sure you add whatever finish you use to all sides evenly. It will help a lot of you use a film finish and much less with an oil only finish.

Sounds like a nice project. You should post pictures.

[Peter Bogiatzidis]

Kodiakman,

Try the following link:

this helps.

Peter.

[kodiakman]

Thanks for all the advice so far.

The finish will be a stain followed by several coats of poly. Do I need to finish the underside of the table top as well? If so, does it need the same number of coats as the top?

[Ba r r y]

I would.

This prevents one side of the top from changing due to environmental influences at different rates than the other.

Finishing the bottom is easy, you don't have to get crazy about the visual quality of it.

Barry

[Larry Bud]

Pick up the atest Fine Woodworking magazine, and they cover all different table designs and dimensions.